Psalm 19:7-11The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
In this next series, I want to focus on the importance of pursuing truth. I want to talk with you about the different ways truth is being watered down around us, and why we as Christians should care and fight back and stand firmly on the truth found in God’s Word. I love the opening verses that I read from Psalm 19 that describe how beautiful God’s Word and His commands are, and I hope those verses are a motivation and reminder for you to see why the topic of pursuing truth is so needed.
In this series, I want to cover several big questions like “Why can we trust the Bible?”, “Why should we fight for objective truth?”, and “How can I be bold in a world that is against truth?” I also plan to talk about pursuing unity as believers and what truths we should base that unity on.
Today, though, I want to start with the simple but important fact that WE NEED TRUTH. We were made and designed to live a certain way, according to God’s truth. And when we don’t live that way or we choose to ignore even just parts of His words and way, then we aren’t living life as it should be lived.
In Deuteronomy, after God had given His law to Moses to give to the Israelites, Moses explained some of the reasons why we need God’s truth to the people:
See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.Deuteronomy 4:5-9
The commands of the Lord were given to the Israelites so that they might know how to live rightly before God and with others. Moses says here that God’s law would show the rest of the world that God’s people were wise and understanding, that their God was near to them when they prayed, and that their decrees and laws were righteous, not just “good.” But he also warns that the people needed to be careful to not forget these commands, and to be actively remembering them. Ever since Adam, our sin has separated and tainted the relationship between God and man. The Law was given to guide and direct God’s people back to a right-er relationship with Him.
However, we know that ultimately Jesus was the only one who could fulfill the law. The original Mosaic Law, the commands God gave the Israelites, was to guard and guide the people until Jesus Christ came:
So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.Galatians 3:24
This does NOT mean, though, that because Christ has come, that we are no longer obligated to follow those Old Testament truths. Christ Himself teaches the complete opposite of that!
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 5:17-19
So why do I keep talking about God’s commands, rather than why “we need truth?” Well, I believe God’s commands and His prescriptions for how we are to live our lives IS the truth we need. We live in a society where we’re told that you can create your own truth, or that you don’t have to accept any truth at all. Those ideas are so prevalent in our culture that it affects the way we view our bodies, our sexuality, and gender. It affects how we view relationships and our jobs. It ultimately affects how we view God and each other. When we live as the captain of our own lives, determining truth as we see fit, we are ignoring the blatant commands that God gave us to guide our lives. He gave us His Word, His commands, His TRUTH, so that we might know Him and walk with Him. And we need that truth in order to receive true peace and joy that comes from Him alone.
The night before Jesus was to leave His disciples to suffer, die, and rise again, He spent time instructing and comforting them. In John 14:6, He famously answered Thomas’ question with, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Then, just a few verses later He responds to questions from Phillip and Judas, saying, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing…If you love me, keep my commands…Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me” (14:12, 15, 23-24).
Jesus is the truth. He is the fulfillment of God’s holy commands made perfect in human flesh. And He has commanded all those who claim to believe and follow Him to obey the truth. I want this series to be an admonition to myself and anyone who listens that our Lord and Savior expects us to obey and proclaim His truth. It’s hard to be bold, and it’s hard to stand out from our friends and family. But our purpose is to glorify God by obeying the commands He gave us and truly believing that they are good.
I was inspired to write this series on pursuing truth after my church went through a series on 2 Peter this summer. It really was so powerful and encouraging to think on how to grow in grace and knowledge of God’s Word and what it looks like to apply that in today’s world. If you’re interested, you can find that sermon and notes here: Growing in Grace and Knowledge Sermon Series
I look forward to diving deeper into this topic of pursuing truth and sharing it with you over the next several weeks. I pray you will be encouraged and emboldened in your faith, and that your view of God and His Word will be enriched. Thanks for giving this a listen!
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